Polytechnic students Giglia Peña, Daniel Morales, Isabel Lima, and Renata Bazurto participated in the first international conference on interdisciplinary studies in art, design, and culture, held virtually from Tuesday, March 22, to Friday, March 25, at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
The graphic design students from FADCOM presented “The Short Story as a Teaching Tool for Traditional Practices in Ecuador”, This project was developed as part of the Art Direction course taught by Professor Lourdes Pilay. After completing the project, a scholarly article was written with input from Professor Pilay and María de los Ángeles Custoja for the UNAM Interdisciplinary Seminar on Art and Design.
The project involved creating a digital children’s story aimed at 5- to 7-year-olds on the Ecuadorian coast, with the goal of fostering learning through the use of the vertical loom.
In Chanduy, Santa Elena, there are women who practice this craft. Lilia Alfonzo, one of them, was the inspiration that led the young polytechnic students to use her image as the story’s main character. Lilia’s subsequent passing marked a turning point in the project because there were only two other women in Ecuador who used the vertical loom.
As a result, this craft is in danger of dying out due to a lack of skilled practitioners. That is why the polytechnic students took the initiative to create a story to encourage new generations to revive this practice.
The story presents information on the use of vertical looms in a playful way, set against the backdrop of Chanduy’s culture and the family tradition passed down from generation to generation.
This children's story tells the tale of Lilia Alfonzo, a little girl who becomes interested in looms after her grandmother introduces her to a friend named Mr. Loom. This fantastic little friend takes her to a world of threads where she learns the craft, which inspires her to carry on her grandmother's tradition.
© Photography: Renata Bazurto
29/03/2022
